Thermostatic safety-valve.



J. N. VAN METEFL. THERMOSTATIC SAFETY VALVE.

APPLICATION msn :um-:26, |917.

1,268648. Patented June 4, 1918.r

character.

miran sra'ras rAfranr oriana.

JOH'N N. van METER, or Normen, KANsAs, Assrenor, or ONE-THIRD To FRANK w. maar@ AND oNEmHIrm To rante s. HAZELTON, or NORTON, KANSAS.

THERMOSTATIC SAFETY-VALVE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June a, i918.

.application led June 26, 1917. Serial No. 177,647.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN N. VAN METER, av citizen of the United States, residing at Norton, in the county of Norton and State of Kansas, have invented l ertain new and useful Improvements/i-nl ermostatic Safety-Valves, of which *the following is a specification.

The present invention constitutes irnprovenients in thermostatic safety valves, as especially designed for coperation with the water system of a motor vehicle, in connection with which it forms an attachment for the radiator.

'Ifhe object of the invention isto provide automatically operable means :fdr draining the system whlen the temperature falls be'-4 low a predetermined degree such that ther is likelihood of the fluid freezing, acco1n panied by the usual disastrous results eX- perienced by operators of vehicles of this A further object is to provide a device of this type with an expansion member which normally maintains the drain outlet closed, the said outlet comprising an operable member embodying a valve seat, which member is adjustable to actuate the expansion member whereby to render the same inoperative for the purpose of preventing `drain of the water system, whenever desired.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the novel' construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically de scribed and claimed. -Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing forining a part of this specification, wherein:

Figure l vis a vertical sectional view through an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view, thev ex pansion member, however, being shown in elevation; I

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the lower portion of the device, showing the draining means in operated position,

rendering the expansion member inopera y tive.

Throughout the following detail description, and on the several figures of the drawing, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, l designates the receptacle containing the uid, such as a radiator, when the invention is used in conjunction with a cooling system of a Inotor vehicle, and to this the device is attached at a conveniently accessible position. In its construction, the device consists of a casing 2 of any desired size and configuration, provided at its top, and centrally thereof, with an attaching nipple, threaded for'connection in an opening of the radiator'. iAt its bottom the casing has a closure cap 3, the peripheral portion of which is both internally as well as externally threaded for purposes now to be described.

As will be obser Yed by reference to Fig. 1', the valve device s connected to the radiator by the nipple above referred to and i' designated 4, so that the body thereof is placed so as to permit of the entrance of y., the iiuid into the lower part of the casing as well as through the upper nipple 4, to, render the draining more effective.

Mounted wholly within the casing 2 is an expansion member 7, which consists of series of hollow disksL 7, each disk beingI in communication with the other, and con` taining some volatile fluid, such as ether, mercury, or the like, very sensitive to changes in tcn'iperature. rThe walls of these disks, as.. \fill be observed in Fig. '1, are preferably corrugated so as to permit of ready flexing of material under the expansive andi contracting actions of the member i. The lower portion of the expansion 'members iaprovided with a depending projection 8, preferably faced with rubber, as indicated at '9, and this-element constitutes a valve, subject to be seated and unseated by the expanding and contraction ofthe member i. ll"This member last mentioned is supported within the casing 2 by a coiled spring l0 and this mounting permits move ment of the-...expansion member regardless of whether it is expanded or contracted, for purposes hereinafter to be set forth.'

Screwed into a central opening n the cap 3, is a draining member 11 which is designed to be adjusted upwardly or downwardly at will for adjustment of the seat 12 at yits upper end with respect to the cap 3 in order to render the seating ineffective to prevent drainage of this device. rlhe adjustment of this member possesses further utility for by movement of the draining member 1l upwardly, the expansion member 7 may be actuated against its spring tension whereby to'lift the said member 7 and render it inoperative so that the system may be drained at will. To this end, the drainingr member 1l is provided with certain auxiliary openings 13 which in the normal position of this member are closed by the wall of the cap but which will be raised upon movement of the draining member to such position as will allow the fluid to pass outwardly when the discharge port is closed by the valve asthe vlatter is rendered inoperative.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the' temperature of the Water or other fluid in the system falls to a danger point so that f -eezing is likely to follow, the expansion member will be sufficiently contracted to withdraw its valve member off the valve seat 12, whereupon the Water will be drained, this action being automatic, obviously. lt is to be'understood, of course, that normally the valve is seated, and the higher the temperature of the fluid the greater the pressure of the valve against the vseat, eiiicessive pressure/being relieved by the yielding of the spring 10.

Whenever it is desired to drain the system, the operator screws the member 1l inwardly, or up'veaidly untilits auxiliary outlets' are exposed Within the casing.

While 'l'have described this invention as applicable particularly to the radiators of vehicles, I do not Wish-to be confined to any such special use and it Willbe apparent also that slight'changes may be made in the de- `tails of construction of the parts Without 'departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

'Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is 1 ln a devfice of the class described, an`

expansion member adapted to be subjected to the temperature of the surrounding fluid, a discharge valve operable by said member and normally held in closed position therebyl and means separate from the valve and expansion member operable at will to shift said valve toeffect drainage of the fluid.

2. In a device/ of the class described, an expansion member adapted to be subjected to the temperature of surrounding fluid, a valve member operable by said expansion member and normally held in closed posi-y tion thereby, and means operable at will t/ol shift said valve to eiect'drainage of the' fluid, said last mentioned means embodying a valve seat for said valve.

In a device of the class described, an expansion member adapted t0 be subjected to the ten'iperature of surrounding fluid, a valve member supported by said expansion member and operable thereby to seat and unseat the valve according to the temperature, and means constituting a discharge port movable to displace the expansion member for rendering said expansion member inoperative, whereby to effect drainage of the fluid at will.

lL'In a device of the class described, an expansion member adapted to be subjected to the temperature of surrounding fluid, a discharge valve operable by said member and normally held in closed position thereby, and drainage means through which the fluid is discharged operable to render the expansion member inoperative at will, Whereby to effect drainage of the fluid.

5. In a device of the class described, an expansion member adapted to be subjected to the tempei'ature of surrounding fluid, a discharge valve operable by said member ,and normally held in closed position there- .drainage means for said fluid automatically controlled by said member, said drainage means being adjustable to render the automatic control inoperative to permit drainage of the Huid at will.

7. In a device of the class described, an expansion member adapted to be subjected to the temperature of surrounding` fluid, manually operable drainage means including a discharge port normally maintained closed by the lexpansion member, and a yieldable mounting for said expansion member whereby to permit the latter to yield upon operation of the drainage means to render the expansion member inoperative ndd simultaneously effect drainage of the 8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a water system, of a ther- `inostatic safety valve therefor comprising a ycontrolling the discharge of the contents 'through said draining member, Said drainingmember having an auxiliary discharge outlet normally closed when theez'rpansion member is operable, said auxiliary discharge being rendered operative Whe the expansion member is rendered inoperative.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a Water s stem, of a thermostatic safety valve there or comprising a casin provided with attaching means and an ret for the fluid, a draining member adjustably connected to the casing, an expansion member mounted within the casing and automatically operable 'to ,close` the mouth of said draining member, said draining member having an auxiliary o en'ing normally closed by the casing when t e expansion member 1s operative, the draining member being manually operable to render let, an expansion member mounted Within thecaslng and -havlng a valve coperatlve with the discharge outlet, and a yleldable support for said expansion member.

11. A radiator attachment comprising a casing, a closure cap, a drain nipple connected to the cap, and a valve member Within the casing for ,controlling the discharge through said nipple normally, the drainage being effected at will by the manuald operation of the drain nipple aforesa1 12. A radiator' attachment comprising a casing, an expansion member disposed wlthin the casing, a springv support for said ember, a valve member carried by the exthe expansion member inoperative and vsifypansion member, a covering for said valve inultaneously open the auxiliary opening\:.f, member, and an adjustable draining memaforesaid forr draining the system at will.

side of said casing having a discharge out- 1.0. A radiator attachment comprising a Vcasing having an inlet to admit the contents.

, of the radlator thereinto, a closure at one r with which said valve member cop` erates.` s ln testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

wor-1N N. VAN METER. 

